JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fresh-faced, Duval County 18-year-olds stood in front of the election supervisor’s office Tuesday morning to register to vote in November and urge other young adults to do the same.
Recent Fletcher High School graduate Jack Rowan, 18, organized the demonstration, which also called for voters to support the long-debated half-cent sales tax referendum which will appear on the November 2020 ballot.
“There may not be a more important time for young people like us to make our voices heard and our votes count,” Rowen said.
The Duval County School Board says it needs a staggering amount of money for improvements to aging schools, in excess of $1.9 billion. The half-cent sales tax would be in effect for 15 years and could net $1.2 billion.
“We all know from our own personal experiences why this money is so badly needed,” Rowen said. “We’ve had to learn in buildings that are dilapidated, where power boxes explode, where air conditioners break, and we have to try and learn in 90-degree heat, where ceilings are falling in and stairs are off-limits because they are unsafe.”
Duval County residents can register online to vote via the Supervisor of Elections website.